As the working holiday visa is beneficial for both Australia and the visa holders, Australia will be soon negotiating an agreement with Greece for granting the popular visa. Australia has agreements for working holidays with 15 countries so far. If Australia reaches an agreement with Greece, young Creek people will be able to go toAustralia for about a year and will be allowed to work while staying there and vise versa. Usually, this type of visa is granted for people between the ages of 18 and 30 years. This is not the first time both sides discuss such agreement. In the past, Greece would agree to let Greek citizens to live and work in Australia for certain period of time, but they would not want the reciprocity of the agreement. This time, however, things are looking more optimistic for both. Australia has working holiday agreements with the following countries: Belgium Canada Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Hong Kong Italy Japan Malta Norway Republic of Cyprus Republic of Ireland Republic of Korea Sweden Taiwan The Netherlands United Kingdom blog.visafirst.comMore...

The Australian Tourism Holiday Council (ATEC) has proposed a change in the working holiday visa (WHV 417) to Australia, according to which backpackers will have to work in the tourism sector for three months. The changes in the working holiday visas to Australia are being discussed since last year due to controversial opinions. According to ATEC, the tourism sector has thousands of job vacancies that need to be filled up or else many tourism businesses are threatened to shut down. Thus, changes in the working holiday program are necessary. ATEC suggests that shortages in the tourism sector could be fixed if backpackers on WHV 417 are required to work three months in the tourism industry, as in exchange they will be allowed to stay additional 12 more months in the country. In addition, the age limit for working holiday applications shall be raised from 30 to 35 years of age. The costs for obtaining a working holiday visa shall be reduced, and multiple visa applications shall be permitted as one is between 18 and 25 years of age and the second one is between 26 and 35 years of age. “The current situation only sees around 22,000 people heading to regional areas to find work in defined industries to qualify for the possible second year extension,” explained Felicia Mariani, ATEC Director, and added, “There are 162,000 Working Holiday Visas issued each year in Australia; this means there are another 140,000 potential Working Holiday Visa visitors who could contribute to the Australian economy. “Within the 162,000 Working Holiday Visas issued each year, there is a clear desire from these people to work in the tourism sector and it is very likely the uptake on the 2nd year extension would be significantly higher,” she also said. The above-mentioned proposed changes to the working holiday visa, according to ATEC, could increase the annual GDP by A$85 million. Also, the working holiday makers will be allocated in particular regional areas in Australia which need boost the most. This way the A$2.3 billion dollars already spent by backpackers annually, would be concentrated in the...

The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship registers a major increase in working holiday visa applications during 2011. According to recent statistics published by the Australian government, the popularity of the Australian Working Holiday Visa grew up significantly. The total number of visa applications granted in 2011 has been 110,541 which is 13,6% increase from the 97,306 applications granted in the 2010. The largest contributors for the growth are the applicants from Taiwan, Ireland and Italy which have grown with 3,105, 2,998 and 1,220 respectively. The reasons for this increase are to be found in the attractive conditions that the Working Holiday Visa offers. It gives the chance to young people from all over the world to explore the possibility of living and working in Australia and to get acquainted with the culture and the lifestyle of this incredible country. Designed for people aged between 18-30 years, the Working Holiday Visa allows for a longer stay than the tourist visa for Australia and therefore for a better immersion in the local culture, society and language. Furthermore it has the advantage of being easier to acquire than the work permit for Australia, which serves as a catalyst for the international cultural exchange between the various countries which participate in the Working Holiday Agreement. There has been also an even larger increase in the applications granted for the second Australian Working Holiday Visa which grew with 34.5% from 10981 to 14 772. The diversity and the richness of Australia cannot be experienced within the time limits of a single year. The second year visa extension could serve for many curious and adventurous people as a possibility to broaden their Australian experience and to visit more places as well as to meet a lot of new friends. In addition, for those who want to live and work in Australia, the Second Year Working Holiday Visa could be a bridge to Australian immigration and permanent residence in the country. The unique opportunities that the Working Holiday Visa program offers have once again made it number one choice for many young adults, who want...

Applying for a visa (even if it’s a working holiday visa) is definitely stressful and time consuming as you are required to gather all kinds of papers and proofs that you are a normal person with good intentions. Sometimes you just need luck. We have all heard those stories where someone’s application was absolutely perfect and he or she was denied. Another one was quite negligent and still got the visa. Whatever the case, you don’t want to risk and take chances, so you better do as instructed. What’s more, don’t lie when filling out the papers. In an attempt to process everything faster, people sometimes omit important information regarding a criminal record from the past, thinking it wasn’t significant and it would take forever to gather additional information to describe the case. These people often end up with a denied visa to Australia and a ruined holiday they have dreamed of. Whether the criminal record was or was not significant, whether it was years ago, let the authorities decide. They appreciate the honesty, and even if they ask for additional documentation, that shouldn’t worry you—just plan more time for the visa application process, and you got real chances to actually get that visa. As people are often confused what is considered a serious criminal conviction, we have provided a list of character requirements for you from www.immi.gov.au. Substantial criminal records A person is deemed to have a substantial criminal record if they have been: -sentenced to either death or life imprisonment -sentenced to a term of imprisonment for 12 months or more -sentenced to two or more terms of imprisonment (whether on one or more occasions), where the total of those terms is two years or more -acquitted of an offence on the grounds of either unsoundness of mind or insanity and, as a result, the person has been detained in a facility or institution. You will have to pass a character test to determine whether you are “of acceptable character” to enter Australia. Here are the requirements for the character test: A Character test A person...

“Do I have to have savings to stay in Australia” is what many working holidaymakers ask themselves. You do need to bring money with you when going to Australia, even if you are on a working holiday visa and plan to work. Few are lucky to find jobs prior or with their arrival, and few manage to get really well-paid jobs. According to our latest survey, most backpackers needed about two months to find jobs as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth have significantly more job opportunities than other places. Thus, in order to avoid ruining your experience, make sure you have enough at least for the beginning. But how much is enough? The amount of money you might need strongly depends on where you are, how long you are staying, how long it will take till you find a job, what life style you are used to, etc. According to the immigration rules, however, if you are going to Australia on a working holiday visa (1 year), the minimum amount you must have is 5,000 Australian Dollars, and if you are on a six-month tourist visa, you must have at least 6,900 Australian Dollars. At the airport in Australia, the customs randomly check people entering the country, and if you don’t have a proof (bank statement, traveler’s check, cash) of the required amount, you are likely to be sent back home. If you decide to risk and leave with very little money, you might have unplanned expenses or situations that could definitely spoil the fun. In case you want to transfer money from UK to Australia, check your bank’s fee, as TransferMate could transfer up to 15,000 Euros just for 10-15 Euros. Also, research the area you are going to through Web sites like gumtree.com and seek.com. These are good sources to find a job or cheap accommodation. Visa FirstMore...

Australian employers are now encouraged to use the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) service as part of a national campaign designed to educate employers about the importance of legal workers. The participating organizations in the campaign are the National Farmers Federation, Australian Workers Union, Horticulture Australia Council and the Australian Industry Group. Whether you are an employer illegally hiring foreign workers, or an employee illegally working in Australia, there will be serious consequences. For example, employers will “face fines of up to $13 200 and two years’ imprisonment while companies face fines of up to $66 000 per illegal worker,” says newsroom.immi.gov.au. The Fair Work Ombudsman campaign is to spread light on the subject specifically in the horticulture industry because a huge number of the backpackers in Australia occupy this field, and ” it was crucial for the industry complies with immigration requirements in its employment practices,” Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) spokesman said. In short, if you plan to go to Australia to work, make sure your visa status allows you to as your employer is highly likely to check your visa entitlement. VEVO, being an online system for organisations to check visa holder entitlements, appears to be of a great help to confirm workers’ eligibility. It is mostly used by labour supply companies and employers, education providers, or other organizations that need to check whether the person is permanently or temporarily in Australia. In addition, visa holders can also take advantage of the system as they can see details regarding their visas. For more information on how to use VEVO, visit www.immi.gov.au . blog.visafirst.comMore...

The recession has a negative effect on many aspect of our lives, but this is the natural way of the economy to bring order to itself after years of frivolous spending by the common consumer. It is always darkest before the dawn, that good old idiom says, but that isn’t necessarily true if you act on time. In recent news an article covered the fact that a lot of backpackers from the UK and Germany are rushing down to Australia in 2009. If you are amongst those people willing to spend the next year in Australia, then there isn’t a better time to get your Australian visa and book your flight. Obtaining a visa might take you between 2 days and two weeks, depending on the approach you chose to obtain one. You can do it by yourself, however if you need it in a hurry it is better to go through an agent, since it will cut most of the hassle and you application will be processed faster. Currently you can book a ticket from London to Sydney on British Airways’s site for as low as 518GBP. This will be the price you pay if you book now for any date of the period ~01/05 – 15/06/2009. This will soon change, however you have the great opportunity to book a cheap in the next few days. Airlines will not be able to sell low cost tickers for much longer so this summer is you chance to book a low cost flight from and to Australia. It is a great time for working holiday makers from Australia to travel to the United Kingdom and for UK backpackers to jump over to Australia. Visa FirstMore...